COVID-19: Aviation Roundtable urges domestic operators to consider merger

The President, Aviation Roundtable (ART) Dr Gabriel Olowo has urged domestic airlines to consider merger due to the present rise in the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

Olowo gave the advice in a communique issued  by the General Manager, Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB), Mr Tunji Oketumbi in Lagos on Sunday.

He said: “Looking at the sector, our airlines are not too strong. We have said it enough that they should merge.

“I hope the sense in merger will come to play with the new ones.

“Otherwise they will continue to parasite one another and at the end of the day, none of them may survive in another 10 years, given all the constraints on ground now with COVID-19 challenges.’’

Olowo said he hoped that they did not have airlines on paper but what the industry wanted was viable airlines.

According to him, “We have been talking that we do not want airlines with two aircraft.

“We want airlines with 30 aircraft and it is doable,” he said.